The 2022 Toyota Sienna is one of just a handful of minivans still being produced. Everyone with growing families seems to want an SUV instead. While minivans have fallen out of favor, they’re still excellent family haulers and are often more practical, economical and fuel efficient than SUVs.
Base Price: $42,100
As Tested: $46,455
Horsepower: 245
Mileage: 36 mpg city/36 mpg highway/36 mpg combined
The Sienna comes standard as a hybrid and is one of few minivans you can get with all-wheel-drive. The new Woodland Edition trim is added for 2022 and comes standard with AWD. Front-wheel-drive is standard and AWD is available on all the other trims. The addition of the Woodland Edition trim is the only big change for 2022 as the Sienna was redesigned for 2021.
The 2022 Sienna comes in six trims: LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum. Starting prices range from $34,560 to $50,760. There’s room for seven or eight passengers, depending on whether you get captain’s chairs in the second row.
In addition to standard AWD, the Woodland Edition trim comes with increased ground clearance so this minivan is suitable for light off-roading. It also has a 1,500-watt inverter with 120V AC outlet to power camping equipment or most household items for a short daytrip or an overnight camping excursion, roof rails with crossbars, and a tow hitch and 3,500-pound towing capacity which is enough for hauling personal watercraft, dirt bikes or ATVs.
The Sienna is a hybrid, powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors, combined with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Total output is 245 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque.
Acceleration is quick from a stop but leisurely at higher speeds. You’ll want to plan for merging and passing at freeway speeds, especially if the minivan is loaded down with passengers and cargo, and the engine can get loud when pressed. The Sienna is easy to drive and handles like a smaller vehicle. Steering is responsive. Brakes have the typical squishy feel of hybrids but you quickly get used to it. The Sienna stays planted around turns with minimal body lean. The ride is smooth even over most bumps and rough roads. When you’re carting around kids and gear, it’s nice to have a vehicle that’s pleasant and easy to drive and the Sienna delivers.
Fuel efficiency is excellent for a minivan and rivals much smaller vehicles. EPA ratings for my tester are 36 mpg city and 36 mpg highway with a combined rating of 36. I got 33 mpg during my week with a mix of city and highway driving.
The cabin is attractive and stylish and controls are logically laid out. Materials look and feel nice including lots of soft-touch plastics. A large touchscreen dominates the dash. Seats in the first two rows are roomy and comfortable with plenty of room for taller adults. Even the third row is spacious enough for adults, although it’s best suited for kids.
Standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, rearview camera, tri-zone automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, power-adjustable driver’s seat, infotainment system with nine-inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth, satellite radio, seven USB ports, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, Wi-Fi hot spot and an in-car intercom so you can yell at kids in the second and third rows!
Available features include a surround-view parking camera system, head-up display, rearview mirror with an integrated camera display quad-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, power-adjustable front passenger seat, heated second-row seats, navigation, HD Radio, eight-speaker audio system, 12-speaker audio system, wireless device charging, rear-seat entertainment system with an 11.6-inch display, two 120-volt household-style power outlets, automatic high-beam headlights, rear seat alert, and a moonroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, rear cross traffic alert, and road sign recognition.
Available driver assistance technologies include front and rear parking sensors.
The infotainment system doesn’t have up-to-the-minute graphics and it can be slow to respond to commands, but it is user-friendly. Menus are logically laid out and physical controls are handy for adjusting common functions.
The 2022 Sienna doesn’t have as much cargo space as rivals. There are 33.5 cubic feet with all three rows of seating in place, 75.2 cubes with the third row folded, and 101 cubes with the second row pushed as far forward as possible. The second row doesn’t fold and can’t be removed so that cuts into the available storage space.
The good:
Smooth, comfortable ride
Handles like a smaller vehicle
Stylish and pleasant interior with spacious seating
Great fuel efficiency for a minivan
Lots of standard and available features and tech
Standard Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa
The not-so-good:
Slow acceleration
Less cargo room than competitors
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $42,100. The rear seat entertainment system is $1,415 and includes a 1080p HD 11.6-inch display, HDMI input, remote, and two wireless headphones. 1,500-watt inverter and two 120-volt AC outlets are $300. XSE Plus Package is $1,000 and incudes wireless smartphone charging, black roof rails, premium audio system, nine-inch touchscreen with navigation, and 12 JBL speakers including subwoofer and amplifier. Special color is $425. Delivery fee is $1,215 bringing the grand total to $46,455.
Bottom line:
The 2022 Toyota Sienna is comfortable, easy to drive, comes with a long list of features and tech, and gets great gas mileage. While its acceleration is slower and it doesn’t have as much cargo space as rivals, it’s still a capable and pleasant family hauler.
